Moncler Grenoble’s Aspen Takeover: A Nostalgic Yet Performance-Driven Affair
The light on the hill moved slowly, as if decelerated by the sub-zero air. At the top of the rise, a grove of aspen treesâglowing bone white in the nightâserved as a kind of abstract stage door. Through them, Moncler Grenobleâs models emerged one-by-one from the glade, with Gigi Hadid leading the charge. They would walk and wander through a mogul field, each concluding their lap on a different mound. What resulted was a finale tableau that, staging-wise, had been in the making since October, 2025 (thatâs when the buildout for this show started).
The performance marked the conclusion of Monclerâs weekend takeover of Aspen, Colorado, the famously ritzy ski-town in which the Franco-Italian brand first arrived in 2008. On Friday, Moncler Grenobleâthe performance-driven but still style-forward line launched in 2010âdebuted its very first U.S. store, catty-corner from the labelâs original outpost on East Hyman Avenue. A celebratory dinner party was held at the Caribou Club; a luncheon followed on Saturday at Casa Tua.
The company also booked out Aspenâs historic Hotel Jerome, which first opened in 1889. The property ended up serving as something of an inspiration for Monclerâs chairman and CEO, Remo Ruffini. He appreciated its âcowboyâ history and its rustic tinge. That led him to fast forward a few decades; he directed his designers to think about American western alpine style in the 1950s, a time when Aspen was far lower-key than it is now. (And, tied-in, Moncler itself was founded in 1952.)
What resulted fell in line with that nostalgia and, daresay, sense of understatement; this was a Moncler Grenoble that felt less edgy (a compliment) than it has in the past. The collection wasnât softâthe technicality and exactitude of the Grenoble threshold was palpableâbut it was relatively whimsical. A hand-drawn âmapâ of Aspen featuring landmarks and fauna was applied to foulards and wearable blankets. Hand-embroidered flowers were seen on collars. Puffer jackets, Monclerâs most known item, had appliquĂ©s of pine trees and hikers. There were plenty of other throwback moments, too, with fringe, Moon Boots with cowboy boot stitching, waistcoats and wide-corduroy parkas among them.
That all of the mid-century visual quaintness worked as well as it did is a real credit to Monclerâs designers and engineers; these are high-end clothes and items when it comes to performance, but aesthetically, a lower-key verve felt exactly right.
